Loose-leaf binder.



E. H. ELDER.

LOOSE LEAI BINDER APPLIUATIoN-HLBD 11.11.31, 1911.

Patented A111123, 1912.

ATTORNEY.

IIN ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD H. ELDER, 0F CHICOPEE FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG-NO'R TO NATIONAL BLANK BOOK COMPANY, 0E I-IOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD H. ELDER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicopee Falls, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which thefollowing is a specication.

This invention relates to loose leaf binders and especially to what is known in the art as a transfer binder, the object of the invention being to provide an improved device for locking the sheets transferred to the binder, and in certain details of construction incidental to this improved construction, all as set forth in the fo-llowing specilication and clearly summarized in the claims appended thereto, the invention beingillustrated in the accompanying drawings inv which,-

Figure l is a sectional plan view of a binder embodying the invention, the plane of the section being parallel with the covers of the binder and indicated by the dotted line 1 1, in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the binder, the plane of the section being at right angle to that shown in Fig. 1 and indicated by the dotted line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the binder taken on line 3 3, Fig. l, showing the connection of the locking slides with the equalizing bar. Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the binder taken on line 4 4, Fig. l, showing the construction of one o-f the sectional posts and the relation of one of the locking slides thereto. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the righthand end of the binder as shown in Figs. l and 2 and shows the end of the screw-rod which actuates the locking-slides.

Referring to the drawing, the binder consists of the oppositely located parallel tubular parts a and o of metal, to each of which is attached a cover for the book of sheets to be bound therein, said cover being indicated by c, both upper and lower cover having the same indicating character, these being at tached to the tubular parts a and o by a strip of leather or fabric d which incloses the said tubular parts and is then extended to and over the cover and glued thereto both on the outer and inner sides thereof, all as customary in bindings of this character, this leather or fabric constituting a hinge for the covers.

In the tubular part b and extending therefrom to and through the tubular part a are the posts e and f, consisting of several sections which are screwed one to the other endwise to build up a post to adapt the height thereof to the thickness of the sheets to be bound in between the tubular parts a and b, that section of the posts located in the tubular part o being permanently secured to said part by riveting or otherwise, the other sections being added as required. This too, is ordinary construction and well understood.

When sheets g of paper are to be inserted in the binder the tubular part a thereof and its attached cover are .removed from the posts e and f, the sheets (suitably perforated) being fitted onto the posts, and the part a of the binder is then itted over the posts and a suitable locking device in the part c is used to lock said part to the posts until such time as more sheets are to be added to, or subtracted from, those in the binder. These locking devices are generally arranged to frictionally engage the posts e and f, and have generally been so constructed as tothrow the posts out of alinement in such a way that when sheets are to be inserted it is found that the ends of the posts do not register with the perforations in the sheets.

By means of the present invention the locking device, located in the tubular part through which the free ends of the posts c and f extend, is so constructed that pressure to frictionally engage the posts is applied to each post in the same direction so that if the posts are deflected they will both be deflected in the same direction, and the distance between the ends will not be changed to any appreciable degree, and thus no difficulty will be found in easily fitting over these posts any new sheets which it is desired to introduce'in the binder.

The above referred to deflection of the posts does not, as a rule, take place until after they have been considerably lengthened by the addition of onel or more sections when the force applied thereto by the operation of the locking devices is applied at some distance from the base of said posts, but frequently this deflection is very marked when the binder is nearly filled up.

The locking device for the part a of the binder comprises the two flat met-al arms h and c, which extend from an equalizing bar m in which they are loosely pinned, as at 0, on opposite sides of the center ot said bar, and they extend in opposite directions, the one indicated by L toward post c and the other one 7c, toward the post The post c extends through a hole in said arm 7i which is very slightly enlarged in the direction et the length of the bar. The other arm 7c extends, as shown in Fio'. l, very nearly to the post Between the points o where the bars /i and 7c are pivotally secured in the equalizino' bar, a screw-threaded rod j) extends through this bar, the opposite end extending through a hole in the block y which is pinned into the end et the part o ot the binder, and serves as a closure tor said end, the rod having also a threaded engagen'ient with said block. Preferably the threads on the bar in are ri ght and lett-hand threads.

The threaded hole through the equalizing bar m is made large enough to permit the rod to i'it treelj.v therein to the end that it may tuliil itsl :functions as an equalizing` bar as it is obviens that a very close lit of the rod in said bar would not permit any swinging` movement of' one end oit the bar relative to the other in ease one ot the arms 7i or 7a should brine; up against one of the posts in advance et the other. The end ot the screwrod 7n extends through to the end of the part o or the binder and is squarec to receive a key 11 whereby it may be rotated to 'force the arms 7i and in the same direction to bring them into trictional contact with the posts c and j", whereby the tubular part i of the binder may be temporarily secured to said posts.

rhe holes vlirough the removable tubular part (f, oit the binder and through the arm /L must be large enough to permit these parts to be easily titted over the ends oit the posts c and ,t', and this rather loose (it makes it impossible, pratftirally, to so proportion the two posts n and "t that they will come to a bearing' siinultaneously against these parts when the rod p is screwed up. Hence, the eoualizing; bar m, is employed. and loosely fitted en the rod to the end that whichever one of these arms may come in contact with the post in advance ot the other arm, the latter, through the slight swiira'ing` movement ot the end ot the bar m in the direction ot moven'ient ot the arm pivoted thereto, will permit this arm to be moved by the screwrod into contact with its post in manner to bring,l both arms against their respective posts under equal pressure, which will be applied to the posts in the same direction, whereby it the posts are sprung, the distance between these ends will not be appreciably changed and no diliiculty will be experienced in applying to the posts either' the leaves to be bound in the binder or the removable tubular part 0, thereof.

lWhat i claim, is

l. A loose lealc binder connprising,` two back members to which the binder covers are attached, metal posts fixed in one of said members at right angles thereto to receive perforated sheets of paper, said second movable member having` holes therethrough whereby it may be fitted ovr said posts to bind the sheets ot paper together, two structurally separate locking slides in said movable member one to bear against each post, means loose y connectingl` the slides and means extending outside ot said movable member to move the connecting means whereby said slides may be moved against said posts simultaneously in the same direction.

Q. A, loose leaf binder comprising tivo tubular back members to which the hinder covers are attached, metal posts tixed in one et said men'ibers at right angles thereto to receive perforated sheets of paper, said second movable member having' holes therethrough whereby it may be iitted over said posts to bind the sheets together, locking slides in said movable member to bear against the same side ot each post, said slides comprising` movable arms extending,` lengthwise ot said member, and whose inner ends are adjacent one another; an equalising bar to which said ends are connected, and means to actu-ate said bar in either direction lengthwise of said member.

3. fr loose leaf binder Comprising` two tubular members to which the covers are attached, posts tiXed in one member and eX- tending loosely through the other, and a lockingl device in said second named back member to secure it to said pests, said lockingr` device comprising two arms, an equalizing; bar to which the inner ends et said arms are pivotally connected, and a screw rod threaded loosely into said equalizing bar between the pivoted ends oit said arms whereby by the actuation et said screw-rod said arms may simultaneously be moved in the same direction against said posts.

EDTVAR) l'lf. ELDER.

lllitnesses l. Cnnnoivs, HARRY Vil. Bowen.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the 'onnnssener of Patents,

Washington7 D. C. 

